Clothes hanger



M. JANG CLOTHES HANGER March 3, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 18, 1960 INVENTOR. Monroe Jang Attorneys M. JANG CLOTHES HANGER March 3, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 18, 1960 INVENTOR. Monroe Jang BY A Horneys March 3, 1964 M. JANG CLOTHES HANGER 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed NOV. 18, 1960 INVENTOR. Monroe Jang Attorneys M. JANG CLOTHES HANGER March 3, 1964 Filed Nov. 18, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Attorneys United States Patent 3,123,263 CLOTHES HANGER Monroe Jang, 1750 L St., Merced, Calif. Filed Nov. 18, 1960, Ser. No. 70,183 7 Claims. (Cl. 223-87) This invention relates generally to clothes or garment hangers, and more particularly to such devices of the type used in retail clothing outlets, cleaning establishments, in the home and the like.

Hanging devices are widely used to support clothes and other garments during periods of storage or dlsplay or when carrying the garment on the street. Convent onal means for this purpose (i.e. metal hangers) are relatively inexpensive and consequently little has been done to 1mprove such devices over the years. It is well known, however, that hangers of this type have a number of shortcomings. Principal among these is a tendency of the garment to slide on the support rod and bunch at one end or fall off, causing the garment to become wrinkled. A further diflioulty is that the devices are entirely unsuited to the hanging of certain items of clothing, such as womens skirts.

In general the present invention is directed to improvements in clothes hanging devices of the type described, particularly with respect to means provided by whichthe tendency towards wrinkling of the garment can be eliminated.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this kind which is suitable for use with a wide variety of garments, and particularly such items as womens skirts and mens pants.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this kind which is simple in construction and which can be simply and easily manufactured.

A further object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive device of this kind, made of cardboard or other expendable material, which may be quickly employed by sales personnel or customers having no prior experience with the device.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments, and from the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of one embodiment of the invention, showing the device in unassembled blank form;

FIGURE 2 illustrates the device of FIGURE 1 during the process of being assembled to supportingly receive a garment;

FIGURES 3 and 4 are detail views showing one form of interlock means, useful with the device of FIGURES 1 and 2, to hold the same in assembled position.

FIGURE 5 is a view, similar to FIGURE 1, of a device employing a modified form of interlocking means;

FIGURE 6 is a view in end elevation of the device of FIGURE 5 in assembled position;

FIGURE 7 is a view like FIGURE 1 of a modified hanging device;

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of the device of FIG- URE 7, showing the device in assembled garment supporting position;

FIGURE 9 is an enlarged detail view along the line 99 of FIGURE 8;

FIGURE 10 is a view along the line lit-10 of FIG- URE 8, showing a further detail of the modified device;

FIGURE 11 is a view like FIGURE 1 illustrating a further modification of the invention, particularly adapted to use as a pants hanger;

FIGURE 12 is a view of the device of FIGURE 11 in assembled position; and

FIGURE 13 is an enlarged detail view along the line 1313 of FIGURE 12.

Generally stated, my invention comprises a pair of panel members joined together about spaced portions of a discontinuous fold line so as to be foldable into a position of parallel adjacency. A central panel portion is secured to one of the pair of panels, and is provided with a hanger type support adapted to be received on a conventional horizontal hanging rod. The central panel is substantially planar in configuration and may be cut from either one or both of the pair of panels. In the latter instance, it preferably is foldably attached to one of the pair of panels by means of interior spaced portions of said discontinuous fold line. Engageable means are also provided on outer peripheral edge portions of the pair of panels to obtain a cooperating interlock of the panels for the support of a garment. As will appear, numerous variations of this general concept are within the scope of the invention, each adapted to a wrinkle-free support of a garment between the two panel portions, supported by the central hanger member.

The embodiment of my invention illustrated in FIG- URES 1 to 4 comprises a first panel 10 foldably attached to a second panel 12 about exteriorly spaced portions 14 of a discontinuous fold line 16. A substantially planar central panel 18 is similarly secured to the first panel about the interiorly spaced portions 2% of the discontinuous fold line. In this case, the central panel is die cut from first and second panels, as indicated by the lines 22 and 24, with the hanging support being formed as a hook-like portion 26 protruding from the lower or base portion of the panel.

As best illustrate-d in FIGURES 1 and 2, a garment supporting panel portion 28 is secured to the panel 10 about a substantially continuous fold line 30, which preferably is parallel to the discontinuous fold line 116. The panel 28 may be provided with a serrated peripheral edge 32 and interlock means 34 in the form of tabs cut from the ends of the panel and joined to the panel It? about the fold line 30. As will appear, interlock slots 36 of the panel '12 are adapted to cooperate with the tabs 34 to hold the panels lit and 12 in locked parallel adjacency. The tabs 34 are preferably provided with locking slots 38 to facilitate this interlock operation.

FIGURE 2 illustrates the folding of the device. The panel 10 is folded downwardly and the garment supporting panel portion 23 is folded upwardly about the fold line 3%), and behind the center panel 18. The garment is positioned upon or about the base portion of the central panel 18 so that at least a portion thereof lies between the central panel 18 and the panel portion 28. As particularly illustrated by the dotted line position of the garment, the panel 28 is folded upwardly so that the serrated edge portion 32 uniformly engages the material of the garment. The panel portion 12 is now folded downwardly to a position overlying the garment so that the garment is positioned between the panel 12 and panels 10 and 28. The locking tabs 34 are next folded outwardly and upwardly (dotted line position of FIGURE 3), and then moved inwardly into engagement with the locking slots 36 (full line position of FIGURES 3 and 4). In the locked position of the device, the garment is firmly supported on the serrated edge 32 of the garment support panel 28 between the interlocked panels 10 and 12. The device can now be hung on a conventional hanging rod by means of the support member 26.

FIGURES 5 and 6 illustrate an embodiment of the invention substantially identical to that illustrated in FIG- URES 1 to 4, but employing a different type of interlock means. As shown in FIGURE 5, the tabs 40 are tapered to cooperate with interior slots 42 and 44 provided in both panel 10 and panel 12. The method of interlocking is illustrated in FIGURE 6, which illustrates move- 'ment of the interlock tabs 41? to a final locked position within both the slots 42 and 44.

FEGURES 7 to illustrate a modification of my device to eliminate the garment supporting edge panel 28. The panels It), 12 and I8 may be identical to the previously described panels with the exception that the panel interlock is provided by mutually engageable slot means 46 and As particularly shown in FIGURES 8 and 10, each of the slots 48 is provided with a curved inner extension adapted to form a bendable tab 50. These tabs cooperate with the slots 46 in the panel iii to hold the panels in closed garment supporting relationship.

In a. use of the device illustrated in FIGURES 7 to 10, the garment is positioned about the body portion of the central panel 18, as before, and the panel 10 folded down about the garment for interlocking with the panel 12. Thereafter, the garment is held in supported relation by the upper edge 52 of the panel cross member 54, also by wedging of the material of the garment within the cutout regions 56 adjacent the central panel 18.

FIGURES 11 to 13 illustrate the manner in which my device can be adapted to the hanging support of mens pants and similar garments. As illustrated, this device comprises main panel portions 60 and 62, secured to one another about the spaced apart portions 64 of a discontinuous fold line traversing the device. A central panel portion 66, forming a part of the panel 62, functions as a hanging support member. Each of the panels 60 and 62 is provided adjacent its peripheral edge with a garment supporting panel portion 68, which may be folded inwardly into supporting position, as in FIGURE 13. Interlock tabs 7%) cut from one of the peripheral panels are en gageable within slot means 72 of the other panel, as illustrated by the two positions of the tabs shown in FIGURE 12. In assembled position, the edge portions '74 of the panels 68 provide a firm, uniform support to the cuffs '76 of a pair of pants held by the device (FIGURE 13).

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the present invention makes possible a simple and inexpensive garment hanger which can be readily fabricated from cardboard or other expendable material in a simple stamping operation. Folding and assembly of the device are readily accomplished without any need for external fasteners or skill in manipulation. A particularly advantageous feature of my device resides in the uniform wrinkle-free support provided to skirts, pants, and other diflicult-to-hang garments as a result of the parallel adjacency of the panels in interlocked position. As a consequence, a garment can be hung on a display rack or in a closet, etc., without fear of sliding of the garment on the support or other tendency of the garment to become wrinkled.

I claim:

1. In a gmment hanger, a pair of panel members joined together about spaced portions of a straight but discontinuous fold line, said pair of panel members thereby being foldable into a position of parallel adjacency, and a central panel portion to the other of said pair of panel members, said central panel portion being adapted to receive a garment thereabout, said central panel portion and the garment positioned thereabout further being adapted to lie between said pair ofpanel members when the pair of panel members is folded above said straight but discontinuous fold line, whereby said pair of panel members assist in retaining the garment on said central panel portion.

2. A garment hanger as in claim 1 wherein at least one of said pair of panels is provided with an outer edge portion inwardly foldable about a continuous fold line parallel to said discontinuous fold line, the width of said outer edge portion being less than that of its adjacent panel in the direction perpendicular to said fold lines, said outer edge portion being adapted to be folded between said pair of said panel members and to engage and support the garment.

3. A garment hanger as in claim 2'wherein said outer edge portion is provided with a serrated exterior edge to -members and a fold line connecting said central panel portion to the other of said panel members, said blank being adapted to form a garment hanger wherein the central panel portion may receive the garment thereabout, and wherein the central panel portion as well as the garment positioned thereabout are adaptedtolie between the first and second panel portions when the first and second panel portions are folded about said straight but discontinuous fold line such that said first and second panel portions assist in retaining the garment on the central panel portion.

5. A blank as in claim 4 wherein said central panel portion is secured to one of said first and second panel portions about said discontinuous fold line.

6. A blank as in claim 4 wherein said rectangular member is provided with a continuous fold line adjacent its peripheral edge and parallel to said discontinuous fold line, said continuous fold line forming a garment supporting panel portion secured to one of said first and second panels.

7. A garment hanger as in claim 1 wherein said central panel is secured to-one of said panels about interiorally spaced portions of said discontinuous fold line.

References Qited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,057,045 Moore Oct. 13, 1936 2,366,533 Kahn Jan. 2, 1945 2,617,565 Suydaw Nov. 11, 1952 2,617,566 Walton Nov. 11, 1952 2,889,093 Beauchamp June 2, 1959 2,910,214 Gouner Oct. 27, 1959 3,061,154 Connall Oct. 30, 1962 Wordingham Oct. 26, 1915 

1. IN A GARMENT HANGER, A PAIR OF PANEL MEMBERS JOINED TOGETHER ABOUT SPACED PORTIONS OF A STRAIGHT BUT DISCONTINOUS FOLD LINE, SAID PAIR OF PANEL MEMBERS THEREBY BEING FOLDABLE INTO A POSITION OF PARALLEL ADJACENCY, AND A CENTRAL PANEL PORTION SECURED TO ONE OF SAID PANELS AND PROVIDED WITH SUPPORT MEANS TO ENGAGE UPON A HANGING ROD, SAID CENTRAL PANEL PORTION BEING CUT FROM ONE OF SAID PAIR OF PANEL MEMBERS, A FOLD LINE CONNECTING SAID CENTRAL PANEL PORTION TO THE OTHER OF SAID PAIR OF PANEL MEMBERS, SAID CENTRAL PANEL PORTION BEING ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A GARMENT THEREABOUT, SAID CENTRAL PANEL PORTION AND THE GARMENT POSITIONED THEREABOUT FURTHER BEING ADAPTED TO LIE BETWEEN SAID PAIR OF PANEL MEMBERS WHEN THE PAIR OF PANEL MEMBERS IS FOLDED ABOVE SAID STRAIGHT BUT DISCONTINUOUS FOLD LINE, WHEREBY SAID PAIR OF PANEL MEMBERS ASSIST IN RETAINING THE GARMENT ON SAID CENTRAL PANEL PORTION. 